From feeding cancer cells to triggering depression, there are many reasons why a high-fat diet may not be optimal for human health. It added another finding to the long list of studies: the destruction of brain cells that regulate how the stomach fills and empties in rats. It was found that after exposure, these cells ceased to function properly, blocking pathways that caused a decrease in caloric expenditure after a full stomach.
In this study, 205 rats were divided into control and test groups. A control group was fed a standard diet and a test group was fed a high-fat/high-calorie diet. Rats in both groups remained on the diet for 1, 3, 5, or 14 days.
The researchers then monitored the diet’s effects on large, branched cells in the brain called astrocytes. These cells are not neurons themselves, but they can control neurons. Their activity is associated with both increased and decreased inflammation and has been found to play a role in Parkinson’s disease.
This study focused on the ability of astrocytes to trigger the release of chemicals known as gliotransmitters. This chemical works by stimulating the neural pathways that control how the stomach expands and contracts in the presence of food. We found that astrocytes were most active after he had been on a high-fat/high-calorie diet for 3–5 days, during which time they functioned correctly to reduce postprandial calorie consumption. However, from around the 10th day, the cells began to malfunction.
“Over time, astrocytes seem to become desensitized to high-fat foods,” said study co-author Kirsten Browning. After 14 days of eating, astrocytes seem to become unresponsive and the brain’s ability to regulate calorie intake is lost, which disrupts signaling to the stomach and slows stomach emptying. .”
Impaired normal satiety after meals can lead to obesity. However, although researchers have identified effects of fat on astrocytes, it is not well understood how the process ties into models of overeating. is also uncertain, indicating the need for further testing.
“It’s not yet known whether the loss of astrocyte activity and signaling machinery causes or occurs in response to overeating,” Browning said. The brain’s ability to regulate calorie intake is apparently lost. If this is the case, it may lead to interventions to restore caloric regulation in humans. “
This research Journal of Physiology.
Source: Pennsylvania State Medical University via EurekAlert
